Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from Ephesians 3. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Hopefully every one of us knows the value of the church – how much God loves and cherishes the church, how His love goes out into the world through the church, and how people are nourished in the knowledge of God’s love for all people within the church.
- You know that this is one of the first lies of the devil, and a lie that continues to afflict the hearts of many and to dominate the thoughts of many others – the lie that God is not love. In fact, the most difficult thing that we have to struggle with in our inner life is to grow in the knowledge of God’s real and genuine love for us. Our sinful nature is filled with many distortions when it comes to knowing and believing the love of God for us.
- And yes, even within the church we observe and experience many things that are in fact inconsonant with the love of God. And in our own speech and behavior we often bear poor witness to God’s love or even deny it. Thank God that the foremost aspect of His love for us is His gracious mercy and forgiveness!
- And so when it comes to this most critical aspect of our existence it is obvious that we need help – and so in our text Paul prays for us, prays for the church. And if the apostle recognized this great need I think we should recognize it as well – and also pray for the church, especially if we value it and cherish it!
- So what should we pray? What did the apostle pray for the church? This is our consideration today. First, that:
I. We Should Pray That We Be Strengthened With The Power Of God’s Spirit In Our Inner Being
Text: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father . . . that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being.”
A. The Result Of This Is That Christ Dwell In Your Hearts Through Faith
Text: “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
B. And This Results In Our Being Rooted And Grounded In Love So That We Grow To Know The Love Of Christ That Surpasses Knowledge
Text: “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.”
C. And The Great And Ultimate Outcome Of This Is We That Might Be Filled With All The Fullness Of God
Text: “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Statement: Have you ever thought that this might be possible for you? If not why not? What is it that you would like to be “filled” with? I know that my sinful nature compels me to be filled with a lot of things – all the things that bring me pleasure and delight. But when it comes to being filled with “all the fullness of God,” I would never have thought that possible. In the first place, I wouldn’t have thought that God would have wanted this for me. Secondly, my sinful nature would not want this because it would crowd out all the things I take pleasure and delight in. I would be changed. Third, in view of my sinful nature, I’m not sure God could accomplish this – and would suspect that He had given up on me long ago.
Application: This brings us directly to thoughts about the importance of knowing God’s love, and growing in the knowledge of God’s love. You see, it is our ignorance of God’s love that leads to such thoughts – that God does not love me enough to fill me with “all the fullness of God,” that this is a futile and ridiculous thought that I shouldn’t even have. And it is quite obvious that I will never find the power within myself to convince myself of God’s love. Each time I turn inward I hear my sinful nature arguing against God’s love, and against the possibility that God could love me enough to so bless me.
And this brings us back to the importance of prayer – first for God to “grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” This is the only way that we can be “rooted and grounded in love” so that we are continuing to learn and to know “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” This is God’s will for you – do not doubt it but consider carefully that we are contemplating His own Word. And consider also that this is God’s will for your fellow believers, for the whole church of God. If we require prayer and the power of His Spirit, so does everyone else. So, rather than noting weakness and complaining about it – and perhaps even withdrawing because of it, we should pray instead. Pray first for yourself – this very prayer of Paul, and then pray also for the rest of us, for we need God’s help and power in this as well.
Transition: And do not think that this is some kind of “pipe-dream” or exercise in positive thinking and optimism. We all know very well the power of sin in our fallen nature, but God’s Word assures us that:
II. God Is Able To Grant This To Us
A. He Is Able To Do Far More Than We Ask Or Think
Text: “Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”
B. He Does So By His Own Power At Work Within Us
Text: “according to the power at work within us.”
C. For This Is To His Glory And Honor, The Glory Of His Gracious Love For Us
Text: “to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen.
Statement: You see then that God has strong and powerful reasons for willing and granting these things to us – that we should grow in the knowledge of His great love for us. It is His very glory – His love for us. It is for our great good and blessedness, and for the good and blessedness of the whole world, His whole creation, and especially for every human being.
And you see also that only His power is able to do this – and far more than we “ask or think.” We must learn not to listen to our fallen sinful nature, and the cynicism, pessimism, and unbelief of the devil’s lies. God thinks this possible for us, and desires to grant this blessedness to us by His power – because He loves us, and because His love is His glory.
Application: We know that it is only by His power, through His Spirit, that our inner being can be transformed by the knowledge of His love for us. We may still doubt that we can actually be “filled with all the fullness of God.” But there is no doubt that God wills this for us. There is no doubt that God has powerful reasons for wanting to do this for us. And there is no doubt that God is able to do this – far more than we are able to ask or think. So let us pray for us, and desire this, and believe that God will be accomplishing this in us and for us!
And let us remember that this prayer is for the whole church – so let us also pray this for our fellow believers, for those in our congregation, or church body, and in the whole church throughout the world. But let us pray this not hypocritically – only for others, but with a sincere eagerness and desire for this for ourselves as well!
Conclusion: This is the most critical thing about us – what goes on in our inner being, in our hearts. This is the greatest inner blessing that we can have – to accurately and properly know the love of God. Everything good in life comes from this – knowing and believing the love that God has for us! So this is the most important thing for us, and in that we cannot attain it on our own – in fact, just the opposite happens on our own, let us surely pray God, as Paul does, to grant this to us by His grace.
And when all is said and done, as God continues to fulfill His promises and His will within us, and to fill us with His fullness, let us give Him all thanks and praise, and all glory in the church and in Christ Jesus – forever and ever! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.